The Sword of Summer

How does Riordan alter elements of the old Norse religion and culture to make them more appealing to a modern audience? Do any of these changes impact the values being communicated through these elements of culture?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may find it easier to respond to this prompt after filling out a T-chart in which they list modernized elements of Norse religion and culture in one column and ideas about the values being transmitted in the other column. If they have difficulty understanding how the modernizations transmit values, you might lead them through practice examples with one or two of the modernized elements.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who benefit from strategies with reading fluency, it may be helpful to allow small group or partner work to gather evidence. If your class is responding in writing, those who benefit from accommodations with written expression might turn in an annotated version of the t-chart suggested above, in lieu of essay-style responses.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“A Plan to Delay Ragnarok”

In this activity, students will demonstrate their understanding of Norse mythology and the characterization of Magnus in The Sword of Summer by creating a plan for Magnus to continue delaying Ragnarok.